11 May 2016

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has named his strongest available team for tonight's Premier League clash with Chelsea, and given the personnel, it's probable that tonight's XI is Klopp's preferred team for the Europa League final next week.

* Jon Flanagan^ is left out of the match-day squad again, which doesn't bode well for his chances of becoming a first-team regular.

* There's no room for Brannagan or Kevin Stewart, both of whom played well in the last game.

Chelsea are without several big players, including John Terry (suspended); Diego Costa (injured), and Thibaut Courtois, who reportedly suffered a late injury issue and had to pull out of the team.

Blues boss Guus Hiddink is still able to field a very strong team, though, and although Chelsea have nothing to play for, I'm sure Fabregas et al will be up for the game.

For Liverpool, it's simple: this is a must-win game. There's no guarantee of winning the Europa League (which will secure Champions League qualification); and if the Reds lose the final, and miss out on Europe (via the league), this season will have to go down as another massive failure.